Captain Anne 

of the 

Red Cross 



BY- 



MERAB EBERLE. 




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Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 



How the Militant Ghosts Saved 
Millville. 



A Red Cross Comedy 
for Girls. 



By MERAB EBERLE 



Copyright, 1918, Eldridge Entertainment How* 



i 



Published by 

Eldridge Entertainment House, 

Franklin, Ohio - - Denver, Colo. 



4? 



CAST OF CHARACTERS 



ANNE — An excitable girl of initiative. 

ELIZABETH— Practical girl who talks in a high 
monotone. 

GRACE— A person of opinions, tall and angular in 
movements. 

CLADYS ) 

MARGARET \ ^ sters - Gladys is easily frightened. 

PAULINE— Dictatorial and possessed of a superior 
.air. 

GERTRUDE— Affected and cynical. 

RUTH— Affects Eastern mannerisms and is good- 
natured. 

All are American girls, eager to do their best by the 
U. S. 

BRIDGET O'FLANNIGAN-Janitress, fat and Irish 

MARY DOKENWADDLE-Her friend, fat and 
<German. 



DEC 12 1918 

TMPS6-0J7255 
O Clo "508 50 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

ACT I. 

{A Red Cross Room. Young women making hospital 
supplies for the soldiers at the Jront. Sewing ma- 
chines are going. Much laughter and talk. Shirts 
are piled conspicuously along the shelves and on the 
tables. Materials are scattered about and everyone is 
working. ) 

Anne {Seated well to the front of the stage.) _ Oh 
I wish we could do something else beside this sewing. 
Ugh! {shuddering) It makes me have that wild feel- 
ing. I've got to stop or go mad. 

Pauline {Looking at the clock) Well, it's after 
time anyhow. Stop, everybody. Just this second. 
Don't you dare take another stitch. We'll have to 
hurry to get home to our suppers— or dinners. 
{Condescendingly) One forgets in this little town to 
say "dinner." When I was in New York— 

Elizabeth What would you like to do instead of 
sewing, Anne? 

Ruth Maybe she would like nursing better. 
Wouldn't you, Anne? 

Anne {emphatically) No. Mercy, no! I couldn't 
touch a man. I should faint. I'd rather fight. I'd 
rather brave the German artillery. Sometimes, do 
you know, I believe that I should like to fight. Just 
jump over the top and go on and on and die fighting. 

Grace You always did like fighting pretty well. 
Anne wants to beat everybody. She beats at school, 
she beats at cards and if she hadn't been sewing so 
fast that she has left everybody in the shade, she 
wouldn't be so tired now. 

Elizabeth I think I agree with Anne about fight- 
ing. It's doing something. 



It Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

Gladys If I'd hear a gun I'd be so weak. Why, if 
the fire-bell rings at night I lie in the bed and shake. 
If I knew it was next door I couldn't get up, I'm so 
scared. 

Margaret If I were you Gladys, I wouldn't tell 
about it. I'd be ashamed of myself. 

Grace I agree with Gladys about the fighting part 
of it. I wouldn't like a bullet to go "ping" in my 
skull. 

Pauline I don't think any of us would be crazy 
about that. (Looking about for approval) Eh, girls? 

Anne But it is beating the men to it that I should 
like. Here we sit and sew. There they fight and 
get all the credit. 

Grace And the bullets. (Laughter) 

Anne You laugh, but we could do more than this. 
We could be spies. 

All Spies? 

Gertrude Oh my goodness gracious! How exciting. 

Anne (heatedly) But I mean spies, detectives or 
whatever you may want to call them. Right here in 
this town there is more German trickery going on 
than any of us dream, Horatio, Grace or thing-um- 
bob. 

Grace I wouldn't be surprised. Those hateful old 
Germans. The more I read about them, the more I 
despise them. I wish I had an airplane. I bet I 
could drop a bomb on the Kaiser's head. 

Anne We could form ourselves into an organiza- 
tion and promise to keep all the proceedings a secret. 
It stands to reason that a town with a munition plant 
is going to have some sort of trouble. A tramp or 
two, or men disguised as tramps, could fire that mu- 
nition factory and knock this town to pieces. 

Elizabeth I think Anne's right. It is our duty to 
try and protect the town. If we could do that we 



Qapt. Anne of the Red Cross 5 

.... - J 

would be fighting just as much as the boys are at 
the front. 

Gladys But I couldn't do it. I'd be petrified. Be- 
sides I never kept a secret in my life. 

Grace If the whole town was at stake and you 
were in danger of being thrown out of your bed and 
through a window, you could keep a secret couldn't 
you? Come on girls. Let's join ourselves into an 
organization and be detectives. It won't hurt us 
anyway. And if we save the munition factory at 
any time, Mr. Stedman will be in duty bound to marry 
us— I mean one of us. 

Ruth Wouldn't that be thrilling? 

Anne No thank you. No fat, old bachelor for me. 

Grace Because he isn't thin with a third eyebrow 
over his mouth, Anne doesn't think he's good look- 
ing. I like broad shouldered men. 

Gladys (In a snippy manner) Perhaps you think 
he'd marry you. 

Grace Surely no. Not with such mental attrac- 
tions as you can offer. (Folding up shirt) Oh gra- 
cious, here is one of Snookum's hairs. I wish you'd 
brush yourself, Anne, before you come here. A sol- 
dier doesn't want a cat hair in his wound. 

Elizabeth I'm coming around to take that cat's 
picture, Anne, he's a beauty. 

Anne I'm coming around to take a picture of your 
dog, if you think'it will injure his health. He held 
my cat up a tree for three hours the other day and I 
just couldn't— 

Grace If you could like a man as well as that cat 
you'd drown him with affection= 

(Enter Bridget O'Flanningan as girls rise to depart) 

Pauline Oh, here comes the janitress. (Patroniz- 
ingly.) Come here, Mrs. O'Flanningan and let me 



6 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

introduce you to the girls. (All nod their heads, and 
murmur acceptance of introduction.) 

Biddy Faith and this is a woild looking room. 
How could any one woman be ixpicted to clane it? 
With that dull pain over your heart, Bridget O'Flan- 
nigan, I can see that the young ladies will soon be 
making ready your shroud. 

Fauline And how do you like your new quarters, 
Mrs. O'Flanningan? 

Biddy And kcw do I like my new phwat? 

Grace She means your rooms, your house. The 
place where you live. 

Biddy Oh, and 'tis a sad day whin I moved to 
thim rooms. Such a noise and a racket. It is loike 
tin thousand hoives of bees. 

Anne Where does she live? 

Paidine Right next door. 

Biddy Right nixt door? Mither o' Mike. You 
mean next partition. {Goes to partition at rear of 
room and taps it.) So thin and dilicate loike. 

Gertrude But then you are very handy to your 
work. 

Pauline Yes, that is one reason why I persuaded 
Mrs. O'Flanningan to take this work. I considered 
that she would be a protection to these rooms. 

Biddy Yis. The rooms' guardeen angel, I am. 
Phwat? (She moves bucket about ostentatiously and 
flourishes mop. ) 

Grace The meeting adjourns. 

Pauline Good evening, Mrs. O'Flannigan. It will 
not take you long to clean up, will it? We are going 
to come again this evening to get out a rush order of 
surgical dressings. 

(All the girls exit. ) 

Biddy Not long. A Mttle water there and a little 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross ? 

here. And a damnation on the Rid Cross. Begorrah, 
I'm a Sinn Feiner. Up with the Kaiser and down with 
that Wilson for a thin face bit of a parson. He'll be 
a frind to thim pratin' English will he and I will show 
him. (Flourishes mop dramatically. ) 

(Dutch Mary Dokenivaddle enters unobserved by Biddy 
and listens to the last of the monologue. ) 

Mary Gute efnin. 

Biddy (Starts and stumbles over bucket and falls 
in the water spilled.) A thousand perditions and 
thunderbolts blast your soul, Dutch Mary Doken- 
waddle. 

Mary Already must you careful be to whom you 
speak such vorts still. I vill haf you understanding 
dat you must not so to me speak. (Advances on 
Biddy with clenched fists. ) 

Biddy (Conciliatorily) Shure and ye startled me. 
Didn't ye? 

Mary Out of the kindness of my heart I come to 
see you to home in your new house. To tell you 
shust how much we ourselves are missing you from 
the Beersheba Flats. But now is it gute bye I am 
saying, Biddy O'Flanningan. Guten Abend, doch. 
(Starts to leave. ) 

Biddy All Mary, ould goirl. Wait but one minute. 
It was silfish in me not to understand the neighborin' 
spirit of ye. Wait, begorrah, but an instance and 
the claning will be done. To hill, says I to the Red 
Cross and the botherin' young ladies. (She splashes 
about vigorously with the mop.) Stand where ye are, 
my ould friend. Tis the sore eyes that a sight of 
your face makes well. 

Mary Ach ja. So speak you really? You are 
then actually a friend of the Vaterland? Two of them 
young ladies what here sew called on me, Frau Dok- 
waddle, to a baper sign concerning Food Conversa- 
tion unt I was enraged und I said, "Nein, nein, vill 



8 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

I not, The Kaiser ist ein noble man, he ist a gute 
friend of derGott." 

Biddy And the Kaiser may be a Vaterland or a. 
goat but bejabbers, 'tis the England I hate. I'm a. 
Sinn Feiner. Hurray for the green flag, St. Patrick 
and the shamrock, says I. The rist of the airth can 
go the devil. 

Mary Now jetz before I go, should I like der cozy- 
little home to see where lives my gute friend, Mrs.. 
O'Flanningan. 

Biddy And why not, says I? But hist and I have 
a sicret to tell ye. There is big tusiness goirg on in 
Biddy O'Flanningan's rooms, this same afternoon.. 
Do ye hear? 

Mary (After listening to a noise that is heard 
through the partition.) I bin not deaf. My ears 
yet hear. Ist the alt man having a party? 

Biddy And a party you might call it. My ould 
man and your ould man and the ithers — 

Mary My alt man? "What does he here? And I 
thought him safe at Schmiddy's saloon. 

Biddy Safe at Schmiddy's saloon! Is my front 
parlor not so good as Schmiddy's saloon? With me 
rose rug and the little chiny dog on the mantle and 
thim around spitting at the new spittoon and hitting 
it only once in a whoile. And bejabbers, your ould 
man or mine would not be sitting there were it not 
for Oirland's good. With a rolling pin in me lift 
hand and a fist in me right. I could run a dozen min 
the size of thim out of me house. 

Mary And again I offend and mean not to. Id ist 
only that I an eye on my husband keep to know 
where he ist. He would do wrong already did I not 
watch him. 

Biddy You speak loike a sister, loike a friend. 
Hist now. They are planning, the whole of thim to 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 9 

bust up the Stedman munition plant, to send it sky 
high to the hivins. 

Mary Mein Gott! Ja, wirchlich doch. 

Biddy Tis for Oirland. 

Mary Id ist for the Kaiser. When will the occashun 
happen? 

Biddy They are planning now. There are six of 
thim. One is a stranger. He looks loike a pirate or 
a nobleman of the Rooshian Empire. 

Mary (Making violent gestures) Down mit der 
munition plant. Down mit der Red Cross. 

Biddy Phwat? Shure and I have not thought of 
the Rid Cross. Shure and we will do it some damage. 
But it must not be a bumb. I am afraid of bumbs. 
An explosion might damage me property too. Me rose 
rug and me chiny dog. And now are ye ready, we 
will speak to our ould min on the subject. And we'll 
have a cup of tay and the finest drap of Oirish whis- 
key you've seen in a long toime. 

Mary If you had beer menshuned, I would burst 
through der wall. But whiskey only makes me walk 
fast out of der door like this. 

( They Exit. After a count of ten Anne enters breath- 
less.) 

Anne Some day I shall forget my head. Where 
oh where did I put my cat's meat? (Hunts about in 
a hurried manner and at length holds hand to her 
head.) Let me think. Jones' grocery? The library? 
No, I didn't leave it there. I remember having a dog 
follow me down the street asking me for it after that 
(Suddenly strikes a listening attitude) Where is that 
noise? It sounds like a saloon. Such an uproar and I 
believe that it is in our new janitress' department. 
(Shows interest) I wonder if she can hear what we 
say? (Puts head to partition. After pressing ear to 
several spots she locates, by climbing on a ladder, an 
old pipe hole papered over in the flue, There it is 



10 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

made apparent by her actions that she is hearing 
something extraordinary. At length she climbs down.) 
Oh my knees, I can hardly stand up. No one will be- 
lieve me. Oh my goodness gracious! What can I do? 
At least I'm a full-fledged spy now. ( Walks about 
restlessly.) One thing I know for certain and that is 
that no man is going to get in on this. With that "I 
did it" air. They think women haven't any brains. 
We'll show them. I've scooped the biggest sensation 
in Millville, the biggest that ever hit this town, the 
biggest that will hit it in a thousand years. Hurrah 
for the women and Hurrah for Uncle Sam. (Starts 
to leave. Then pauses.) Oh, that cat meat! (Hand goes 
to pocket) Here it has been the whole time. 

CURTAIN. 



^m$?*^ 



ACT II 

(Red Cross Room, the ev ening of the same day. This 
time the occupants are dressed in white aprons which 
completely cover the dress and they wear white caps 
and are making surgical dressings. Anne is nailing a 
board over the pipe hole in the flue. ) 

Pauline Here it is nine o'clock and we've just got 
to finish up. It means at least two hours more work. 

Gladys I shall be afraid to go home. You know 
last night there was a man standing on the bridge. 
I was just paralyzed and couldn't get to sleep until 
mother came to bed with me. (Noise of hammering 
grows deafening. ) 

Grace For heaven's sake, Anne, stop that noise. 
What do you think you're doing? 

Anne Fixing the flue hole. 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 11 

Grace Well before I'd waste my time doing that! 
Come here and make a bandage or two. You've been 
acting like a chicken with its head off all evening. 

Elizabeth Don't you do it, Anne, that flue needs 
fixing. 

Ruth Anne's so original. "The early bird catches 
the worm," you know. 

Grace I fail to see the application. 

Gertrude I'm afraid I'm rather dull too. Was 
there any application, Ruth ? 

Anne {Descending from perch.) Now girls, put 
down your sewing. There's something more impor- 
tant on hand tonight. I want you to humor me. Make 
me chairman pro tern of an organization of spies. 

Gertrude How thrilling! 

Pauline I thought I was chairman here. 

Anne You are —of the Red Cross. I want to be 
chairman of an organization of spies. Please. 

Grace If she sets her head on a thing we might as 
well let her have it, first as last. I'm agreeable. 

Elizabeth It's all right with me. 

Gladys It would scare me to death to be a spy. 

Margaret (To Gladys.) I'd be ashamed to say it 
if I were you. 

Ruth I think it would be wonderful. We could 
give little parties, you know and be called the "Spy 
Club." 

Grace Once called the "Spy Club" and we would 
b>e singularly effective as an organization thereafter. 

Anne All in favor of me for chairman, say 'Aye." 

All Aye. 

Anne Elected. Now girls, here comes the speech- 
making. (She stands on a high table. ) Throw a night- 



12 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

ingale, each of you, over your head. There are plenty 
or just any piece of white cloth. 

Grace I suppose we must. (All exhibiting a little 
more interest, good-naturedly put the nightingales 
over their heads. ) 

Anne Throw me one. No not a dozen. Now that 
you are all in white what do you look like? 

Pauline More like ghosts than anything I can 
think of. 

Anne Good. Exactly. Hand me that package over 
there. {She shows a number of white masks.) Put these 
on. ( The girls adjust them hurriedly. They must be 
practised in doing this speedily. Anne dons one as 
well as the rest.) Ghosts, wonderful ghosts. How do 
you like it? Goodness, I'm afraid of you. And now 
Grace, hand me that package. 

Grace Horrors. It's heavy. 

Anne (Opens box and shows revolvers.) See. 

Gladys (Shrieking. ) I cannot stand it. 

Anne They're Fourth of July revolvers. I got 
them at Adamson's. If you carry on that way, we'll 
have all of Millville in here. They only have blank 
cartridges in them. They make a noise— 

Gladys Oh, oh! 

Gertrude I must say that I consider this nonsensi- 
cal. 

Ruth A party, girls, this way. Wouldn't it be 
glorious? 

Grace It reminds me of the Ku-Klux Klan. 

Anne Of course it does and, girls, this is now the 
time for me to make a speech. 

All Hear. Hear. 

Anne We've entered this war for a purpose. (Calls 
of hear, hear.) Some of us don't like the others. We 
disapprove of each others way of dress. We don't 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross is 

like one another's mannerisms but we all want to 
whip Germany and we are all down on the Kaiser. 
It's not the Germans themselves that we want to hit 
so hard, it's their Kaiser, old Bill Hollenzollern. The 
Stars and Stripes can come it over the German flag 
at any time. That is if we all help. Now I want to 
ask you girls a plain question. If you knew that Ger- 
man treason was abroad in this town tonight would 
you give your lives to stop it? Our boys are over 
there being shot down, would you give your lives 
here to help them over there? 

Grace I should say. 

Anne All of you say, "We would." 

All We would. 

Anne Fine! Now just suppose that the Stedman 
munition plant was to be fired. Would you help scare 
the men who are to do it? 

All We would. 

Grace This sounds like the marriage ceremony. 

Anne And that these very rooms were to be en- 
tered and vandals were to destroy our work of days 
and so hinder our Red Cross hospitals. Would you 
help catch the vandals? 

All We would. 

Anne Swear it. Say, "We swear it. " 

All We swear it. 

Anne Now girls don't scream. I have something 
awful to tell you. (Gladys falls on shoulder of Mar- 
garet who shakes her sister and stands her up. All 
manifest interest.) Tonight these rooms are to be en- 
tered and all our work destroyed. (All ask at once,, 
"Who said so? When? Are you crazy?") 

Elizabeth The Ku-Klux isn't in it. 

Anne Girls, I'll have to ask you to believe me.. 
Listen please. At half past five I came back for er— 



lJf Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

something I forgot and I heard a noise in the janitress' 
rooms, 

Pauline Oh we'll have to protect Biddy. 

Anne Protect nothing. She's the worst of them. 
It's she with another woman who is going to dam- 
age the Red Cross. 

Grace For heaven's sake, everybody, keep still 
and let Anne talk. 

Anne Yes, girls, let me talk. (Looks at wrist 
watch. ) We only have half an hour. I heard a noise 
in the janitress' rooms. So I listened at the partition 
but the talking was jumbled. Then I thought of the 
flue, and through the pipe hole I heard — well I heard 
enough to know that at eleven o'clock the Stedman 
munition plant is to be blown up. It may set the 
whole town on fire. 

Grace Oh my soul, have you told the marshal? 

Anne Now girls, we don't want any men in this. 

Grace Oh, don't we? I for one want a thousand. 

Anne Not a one. 

Gertrude But we must. 

Anne If all the men were .at war we could do it, 
couldn't we? Girls, you swore a moment ago what 
you would do. 

Pauline But we didn't know. 

Elizabeth But we did swear. 

Anne Please, all of you, be as terrific as you look. 
In the dark you would scare the soul out of any man 
that lived. Some of us must go right away to the mu- 
nition plant and one of us will stay here. 

Elizabeth I'll go to the munition plant. I've scared 
people before with a costume something like this. 

Gladys Well for me, I'd rather be out in the open 
so I can run. It's me for the munition factory, 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 15 

Anne And who'll stay here? 

Pauline Suppose you do— you're so brave. 

Anne I will, gladly. 

Grace I don't think she should be left here alone. 
Suppose something should happen. 

Pauline You stay with her. 

Grace Well I suppose I should. 

Anne Now girls, hurry down the back alleys. 
Moan like good ghosts and tell the men that you have 
come to take them to the cemetery. 

Gladys It is like a mad nightmare. But in a night- 
mare I could scream, now I cannot. 

Margaret I'd be ashamed. 

{All exit with the exception of Anne and Grace.) 

Anne I knew I'd have to stay here. Now we've 
got to hustle. When those women come, and they'll 
come as soon as it's very quiet and dark in here, you 
be the ghost that locks them in. And I. Look here. 
(Produces a time bomb.) Don't jump. There's no 
powder in it. John got it by sneaking away one part 
of it at a time. We are going to have some fun with 
those women. 

Grace You are optimistic. 

Anne They'll think we're going to blow them up. 
I'll pretend that I'm the ghost of the Gunpowder Plot 
and you, of the New Jersey Munition Plant Explosion. 
Out with the lights. {The stage is then totally dark- 
ened.) Let's hide. (Count a slow fifteen for a pause 
during which there must be total silence and darkness. ) 
1 think I heard Biddy's door open. (Another pause.) 
They're coming. 

(Biddy O'Flannigan and Dutch Mary enter, carry- 
ing lantern. The stage is then very dimly lighted. ) 

Biddy It is just as I thought. Thim careless young 
women even lift the door unlocked. Now it's to the 



16 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

-work with us. We will get the stuff in a bunch first 
We kin cut up a bit of it and carry the rist off. We 
will not freeze for the lack of winter flannels after 
this, ould goirl. ( They commence Hinging garments in 
pile in center of floor. ) 

Mary Already I can feel the Kaiser's happiness 
should he of this learn. Yet may Dutch Mary be a 
proud lady when she at court introduced ist. 

Biddy At court is it? Now we Oirish care nothing 
for court. Me oncle was king of Oirland once before 
the English irristed him for thaving. And me father 
was invoited to be, but he was that afraid that his 
royal duties would kape him from tending proper to 
his pigs that he refused. And such illigant pigs as 
they were. 

Mary Vat did I hear? There was a noise. 

Biddy Nothing. This place is as quiet as a saloon 
in a dry town. (The ghosts made themselves visible, 
Dutch Mary and Biddy manifest great fright. ) Holy 
blazes! The first that Oi've seen in me loife. 

Mary Mein Gott! (Sinks to her knees.) 

Grace (Backs to door and locks it. Speaks in sepul- 
chral tones. ) Well may you beg for life. Tonight is 
the last night wherein you'll breathe. 

Biddy Oh holy Mither o' Mike. 

Anne Here are two ghosts sent to accompany you 
•on your way to the cemetery. 

Biddy I know the way. I kin go mesilf. (Backs 
from Anne as she approaches. ) 

Mary Shust here ist where I cannot id stand. 
(Shrieks at Grace who approaches her.) Go! Go! Go! 

Anne Be not afraid. We have come to help you. 

Biddy Hilp? 

Grace I'm the Ghost of the Gunpowder Plot. 

Anne I am the Ghost of the New Jersey Munition 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 17 

Plant Explosion. We have come out of our resting 
places to aid you. 

Grace We are much opposed to the Red Cross. 

Anne And we hope through our great love for the 
Kaiser to help him to the cemetery soon. 

Mary We your help do nod need. We can id alone 
agomplish. 

Anne But we can help you do it right. My spirit 
heard you say that you intend to cut these to pieces. 
That is no way to do it. Blow this place up. See what 
I have brought to you, straight from the trenches. 
(Displays time bomb. ) 

Biddy Oh Arrah, begarrah. Tis a bumb. Tis I 
who am so afraid of the things that me hair stands 
on ind. I am dripping with perspoiration. 

Mary (Runs to the door and shakes it wildly.) 
The door, id ist locked. 

Anne Here I will light it. (Does so.) In five min- 
utes it will go off. 

Biddy But the door is locked. 

Grace You cannot leave this room by door or win- 
dow. The spirits of the air are holding them shut. 

Biddy But we will be blown to smithereens. 

Mary Indo beazes. 

Grace Ghosts cannot be blown to pieces. 

Biddy But mortals kin. 

Anne You will be ghosts too in three minutes. 
And then we can take you with us to the cemetery. 

Mary Gute ghostes, kind ghostes, let a poor wo- 
man to home go. 

Biddy Faith and I will give you a quart of the 
best Oirish whiskey. 

Mary And a keg, vun whole keg of beer. 



18 Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 

Anne We eat not. Neither do we drink. Here 
hold the bomb. (Biddy automatically receives it in her 
hand and then with a howl of fright throws it at the 
feet of Mary who recovers enough from her drooping 
spirits to climb on a stand where she remains in the 
attitude of prayer and repeats the word "Kaiser", at 
intervals. ) 

Anne One more minute and we will take our little 
ride into Eternity. A very nice place, Eternity. 
Plenty of room. Have you ever ridden over the tree 
tops and far away? 

Biddy Only on the Chicago illivated. 

(A babble of voices is heard at the door. The ghosts 
have returned from the munition factory. ) 

Elizabeth {Outside.) Let us in. 

Biddy Glory to St. Dinnis. Hilp has arroived. 

Grace {Advancing to the door. ) Friends we will 
let you in. (The ghosts enter.) 

Biddy The cimitiry is open tonight, 

(Mary falls from the table to the floor and lies there 
groaning. ) 

Elizabeth We got them, the men. We scared them 
to death in the first place. It was easy. Moan girls 
like you did. (They all moan in dismal unison.) We 
then told them that we had come to take them to the 
cemetery and they started to run away. When they 
saw our revolvers and heard a shot or two, they came 
along with us like lambs. We took them to the lock- 
up and then ran like mad. 

Gladys I was scared to death. 

Margaret I'd be ashamed to tell it if I was. 

Anne But where is Pauline? (All look startled.) 

Gertrude She was at the lock-up with us. 

Elizabeth The night watch must have got her. 
Some men down at the fire department ran after us. 



Capt. Anne of the Red Cross 19 

Gladys What will we do? 

Gertrude She'll tell. She'll tell the whole story. 

Elizabeth She'll have to, but I guess it won't mean 
disgrace. 

Gertrude I see you have caught the women. Biddy 
O'Flannigan, who would have thought it of you? (All 
start to throw aside their disguises. Lights brighten. ) 

Biddy 'Tis the young women. Ould Dutch Mary, 
'tis the young ladies, thimsilves. 

Mary Vhere, oh vhere? 

Biddy Roight here. They were not ghosts. Come 
git up and let's git out. Your fist and mine are tough 
customers. Back you spalpeens, Dutch Mary and I 
have claned up on the min in Schmiddy's saloon this 
many a toime- 

Anne _ (Showing revolver. ) Stay where you are. 
(Mary gives one look and sinks back on the floor with 
a groan. ) 

(A great noise is heard outside. All the girls but 
Anne, who points her revolver at Biddy, rush to the 
window. ) 

Anne What is it? 

Grace It looks like the whole town. There's the 
Marshal, and Mayor and Pauline. And oh, there 
comes Mr. Stedman. They're cheering. Pauline has 
told them. Red lights and everything. 

Voices from Outside. Hurrah for the Armed Ghosts 
of Millville. Hurrah, hurrah for the Red Cross. Who 
says the women can't do the work? 

CURTAIN 



A GREAT WAR MUSICAL RECITATION 



THE 



AR ROSARY 



The words appeared in "The Westminster 
Gazette," and an especially melodious and 
appropriate accompaniment has been given 
them by 

Sarah Butler Eldridge 

This nu mber especially good for Red Cross 
programs. 

I knit, I knit, 

I pray, I pray; 
My knitting is my rosary. 
And as I weave the stitches gray 
I murmur prayers continually. 

Music and words complete, sheet 
music size, price 50 cents. 

THE ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE 

FRANKLIN, OHIO also TnSSff DENVER, COLO. 

SEND FOR OUR BIG CATALOGUE 



THE NEW COSTUME BOOK 



HERE AT LAST IS A BOOK WHICH WILL BE WELCOMED BY 
EVERYONE WHO HAS AN ENTERTAINMENT IN CHARGE 

AMATEURS' COSTUME BOOK 

r - ■ By ELIZABETH GUPTILL 

DESCRIBES ACCURATELY HOW TO 
MAKE OVER 100 COSTUMES FOR 

Mother Goose Characters 
Fairies, Witches, Goblins 
Spirit of Christmas 
Characters of Flowers 
Patriotic Personalities 
Elves, Brownies and Gnomes 
A Variety of Dolls 
Little Folks of Long Ago 
Grecian Maids and Matron 
Characters of Comedy 
The Four Seasons 
Holiday Characters 
Different Nationalities 
Angels, Cupids, etc. etc. 

ILLUSTRATED FROM ACTUAL PHOTOGRAPHS 

Useful to enterprising mothers who are called upon to 
costume their children for amateur entertainments or 
fancy dress parties. ::::::: 

DD I f> F ! PAPER, 50 CENTS 
• ■*■ V C (CLOTH, 75 CENTS 

ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE 

FRANKLIN, OHIO ^ <i <i ^ DENVER, COLO. 




I 



LIBRARY OF CONGRESS 

016 215 125 3 



The Pageant of the Hour 

Especially recommended for a Red Cross 
benefit or any patriotic entertainment to raise 
funds for the army at home or abroad. :: :: 

The SPIRIT OF 



DEMOCRACY 



M 



AN ALLEGORICAL PAGEANT OF THE 
WORLD WAR, IN BLANK VERSE, 

= By MERAB EBERLE — 

The action takes place at the throne of 
Autocracy, following a brief prologue by the 
prophet. The allies come to the aid of the 
Spirit of Democracy and crush Autocracy. :: 

The pageant may be given indoors or out- 
doors and is capable of simple or elaborate 
production. :: :: :: :: :: :: 

A SPLENDID FEATURE ON ANY PATRIOTIC PROGRAM 

16 characters, male and female or all female. 
Time about 30 minutes. :: :: :: :: 

PRICE 25 CENTS 

ELDRIDGE ENTERTAINMENT HOUSE 

FRANKLIN, OHIO > jt j. DENVER, COLO. 



